soapbox

SOAP BOX

I had quite a bit of a thought about this page and whether is was worth putting it up or not and decided 'yes'.

The issue - The Two Thespains and their Long Way Down and their first one of Long Way Round. No doubt there's loads of other places on the 'net with all flavours of opinions regarding Boorman and MacGregor and this is just another one. And it's the right one so up yers if you think otherwise...

Charlie....Ewan....you need to get your head out of your PR people's arses and get away from the commercial crap with your biking trips. The first one was a novelty and interesting in a well funded kind of way despite being hammed up a lot. But this last effort .... you're not having a great time and it's all nothing but a big fat sponsorship item. It doesn't matter how much dressing up with Unicef you put on it (how much of that came from the PR people by the way?), it is still a big old load of cobblers. Get away from the sponsorship shite and go and enjoy your biking as, I suspect I'm correct in this, you originally wanted to 3 or 4 or 5 years ago. Or maybe I got it wrong and the whole purpose is to create your niche in the docutainment world? Get a Guzzi and ride off without the paraphernalia and baggage of a TV show. But I suspect the next one will still just be another TV show.

One hilarious thing though....after the thespains had done the Long Way Round and a mention of anti-LWR talk around devout BMW folk was uttered into the open, it was like standing on a cat's tail. "Thou shalt NOT impugn the sanctity of their holinesses Ewan and Charlie for thou knowest not of the greatness they herald"...or somesuch nonsense. Umm...yess...quite... each to their own. I wonder if the BMW crowd still feel the same now or most likely I'm pissing into a strong wind, it certainly smells a bit urinally.

I've done my own trip since having written the above and hold to my views. However, what comes across is the two of them love their biking and that's one of the endearing things about it. My hat goes off to a certain extent for being able to put together a TV show in the way they did. The thing I object to is the line they sold to the world that they're real adventurers rather than heading a travelling entourage. I really do hope they just pick a couple of their favourite bikes, and head off for a complete trip without anyone else and take the equipment needed for the job rather than that supplied by sponsors which they have to show off on screen.